MPP Arnott calls for new language education strategy

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2013

MPP Arnott calls for new language education strategy

(Queen’s Park) – In order to succeed economically in the coming decades, Ontario needs more of
its residents to be fluent in key global languages, says Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.

On June 5, Mr. Arnott tabled a resolution in the Ontario Legislature calling on the Government to
develop a comprehensive strategy to actively promote and improve opportunities for Ontario
students to learn key international languages.

“While Ontario students currently study French in school, I believe we need to give more of our
students a chance to learn a third, key international language,” Mr. Arnott noted. “My resolution is
intended to be a constructive proposal, and I hope the Government will adopt it.”

Mr. Arnott, the Ontario PC Critic to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, recognizes the need to
look beyond Ontario’s borders in an increasingly global economy.

“With advancements in technology and transportation, the world’s becoming a smaller place all the
time. We need to look to the future,” said Mr. Arnott. “Having a greater capability to communicate
with people in other countries in their own language would give Ontario an important competitive
advantage.”

This is an issue which Mr. Arnott has been considering bringing forward in the Legislature for some
time. After reading an article in the Toronto Star on New Year’s Day by Dr. Irvin Studin, of the
School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto, Mr. Arnott approached Dr.
Studin and met with him. Mr. Arnott also consulted him in drafting the wording of the resolution.

“In this intensely competitive century, bilingualism is a must, but not enough,” said Dr. Studin. “We
as a province and as a country should aim to have all educated Ontarians and Canadians speaking,
reading and writing well in at least three languages – ideally, English, French and a third major
international tongue.”

(Attached: Text of Mr. Arnott’s Resolution tabled in the Ontario Legislature, June 5, 2013)

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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org

Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills

Text of Mr. Arnott’s Resolution tabled in the
Ontario Legislature, June 5, 2013

Mr. Arnott – That, in the opinion of this House, the Minister of Education should develop a
strategy to actively promote and improve the opportunities for Ontario students to become
functionally multilingual in English, French, and a key, third international language, to address
the future economic challenges for Ontario and Canada that will require a significant increase in
the number of residents who are not just bilingual, but functionally multilingual.